WW2 Veteran Tom Moore, 99, Raises Over £18MILLION For NHS As He Walks 100 Laps Of His Garden

Tom Moore set himself a target of raising £1,000 for the British state-funded NHS, little did he imagine that he would grab the hearts and minds of not only fellow Brits but of the whole world and the target was soon surpassed way beyond Tom’s imagination.

Captain Tom’s fundraiser has smashed its target Credit: Reuters

The former Army captain set himself a task that by his 100 birthday on 30th April, he would complete 100 laps of his garden.

Tom walks with a frame to help him walk since his hip operation and it’s a case of Tom and his frame working together for the 25-yard loops of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Beds.

He has been trying to do ten laps at a time to help support NHS frontline workers fighting coronavirus.

He initially set out to raise just £1,000 for NHS Charities Together.

But by last night the sum had gone past an incredible £18million — and the figure was still rising on the charity website JustGiving.

Earlier, an account run for Tom tweeted: “It’s now £3.5million, and together we have raised an amazing £2.7million in 24 hours! I’m signing off for the day but remember #TomorrowWillBeAGoodDay.”

Captain Tom Moore served during the Second World War, becoming an officer in 1940 Credit: Reuters

“But when you think who it’s for, and they’re all so brave. . . I think they deserve every penny of it.”

“The more it (money) comes in the better because when I was in the hospital with my hip and then with my head, the service I got … was absolutely unbelievable,” Moore said, as the tally from his fundraising campaign kept rising. (here)

During World War Two, Tom was enlisted in 145 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps and was chosen for officer training in 1940, rising to the rank of captain.

He was posted to India and went on to serve his country in Burma, now called Myanmar.

He became an instructor at The Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington, Dorset, upon his return to the UK.

The British public has been signing a petition for Tom to receive a Knighthood from the Queen and it appears to have the backing of the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince William has called Tom a “one-man fundraising machine”.